Cracks In The Crystal Ball: PART I Sa-chan
by Celeste's Baggage
Summary: First of many tales about our favorite mage. After a group of flotsam victims washes up on Castanet Island-including the errant baby Sara-Gale's once-peaceful life is upturned. How did she get separated from her family and land on the island? How can the local wizard handle such a bouncy child? Stars characs from IOH/SI and TOT/AP.
1. Prologue: Ramblings Of An Old Man

Do I always look at the stars? Well...I've seen a great many of them on this island. I've seen the final beams of light from a dying star fade into the void of space. Light takes about ten minutes to reach us here on Earth, but that's just from the sun. Stars way out in space, like those few you can see on my telescope, their light takes days to reach us. But it can still have a lasting effect.

Like when your grandmother left us for that great beyond for example. She is no longer with us-Goddess bless her-but she took a while to get up there. She is the tiny greenish one you see in late Winter...I'm sure of it.

How am I sure? Well, she was born in late Winter, first off. She also told me she always wanted to be able to watch over her dear family like we did her. She promised me...promised us that she would keep an eye on our girls. What better place to do that than straight ahead out the window, right? Creepy, but it suits her needs.

Yes...you and your grandmother...you both intrigue me with how you found the perfect way to scare the crap out of me in my calmest moments. You do it by using that plant-producing magic of yours. _She_ seriously used to wait until I was asleep and then she would drop an ice cube down my shirt. Imagine, La Nonna more of a child than you. What a concept.

Can you believe that it's been eight years already since she passed? Time has a way of making you feel like you're moving at the speed of light. But when you grow old, it will be hard to make it last. Savor each day while you can, Zeta. You will never know when it will end.

You want to know what life was like when I met La Nonna? It's been about thirty years, so you must excuse me if my memory is foggy. Oh come now, don't pout at me like that; you look way too much like your mother when you do that. I will try to remember as best I can for you, Zeta.

The land was nowhere near as vibrant as you see it today. You never saw any wildflowers around and the crops were mediocre to say the least. The waves, they didn't move at all. The wind was a weak breeze. I don't know why the land was so dead but that is how life was for a year. Oh yes, I tried to research solutions, but then none went right. The witch in Fugue Forest, Vivi, she tried to heal the land, but ended up turning herself into a frog. (I shall get to that later.) Me, I ended up turning my hair gray.

Haha, yes, you thought I was always like this, did you not? Because your Nonno Gale is an old fart? No, I tried to bring snow back to the island (which in hindsight makes absolutely no sense) and instead created magic hair-dying flakes, so for a while everybody looked like an old man until I could solve that. But since I attract magic like ants to a picnic, my once lovely blonde locks were tainted and gray!

Oh, right. I was supposed to tell about life with your grandmother, wasn't I? Well, it really started when a different woman changed the island's state. You can say she was...my best friend.

* * *

Well, ah...interesting prologue. This chapter describes him talking to his granddaughter, Zeta Giustina. We will be visiting this period as a real third-person scene from now on. The rest of the story is in first person otherwise to avoid confusion, I shall use boldface for the first couple words in each transition


	2. Beirne the Beevus

Nobody is certain about the arrival of Molly Beirne to the island. She just appeared in town one day and told us she was starting a new farm East of us. She did not smile or elaborate her plans. It seemed odd to the villagers and for this they were concerned. Who was this young girl

You would not have called this woman a social butterfly. She was seldom seen talking to the other villagers. People believed she was spiteful of the community for its lackluster spirit. After all, the land was bear and everyone was despairing. Nobody wants to contract despair from another person. Thus, she secluded herself with her sheep and crops on that dusty old farm of hers.

It was not until I was visited by the girl that I myself worried for her. She knocked on my door during a rainstorm. Thinking she was another person asking for their fortune to be read, I took my sweet time coming to the door. Then came a horrid cry. "Would you open the door, for Goddess' sake?!"

I swung my door open and gasped. She was soaked and bruised on her knees, indicating that she had tripped on the way here. I could see a bit of snot running from her nose. She pushed past me into my living room. "Took you long enough! What if I had caught pneumonia out there waiting so long?" _Well excuse me! _She lowered the hood of her raincoat to reveal her dripping stringy red hair. Her bright pink eyes were fixed in a glare at me. Her face was flushed and sunken. I'm not sure if the cold had done that to her...

Or if she was suffering like the other citizens. Either way, I quickly poured her some makeshift tea. She trembled at the heat coming from her cup and seemed to have a hard time lifting it to her mouth. She cringed at her first hot sip and nearly spilled it all over the table. I shook my head. _You really are weak, aren't you?_

"Th-thanks," she mumbled. Then staring straight at me, she asked, " You wouldn't happen to know the melody of the bluebell, would you?"

"The melody of the what?" I did not know that the flowers had songs, let alone ones that never grew here before.

She groaned and sat on my bed. "This town, so I hear, is run by the song of the 5 elemental bells. Since they haven't rung in a while, the land is dying out. Each bell controls a different element and it stands to reason that blue one would control water. But then the twerpy little sprite that usually tolls it has somehow miraculously forgotten its melody. From what the villagers say, you've lived on Castanet Island for a long time. I figured you've heard the bell at least once. So do you remember any bells at all, man?"

I blinked. Wow, she said all that in one breath. No no, focus. Where have I heard a bell?

Okay, they usually ring twice a century as far as I know. What tune plays whenever the water starts to churn? All I can think of is the town tune for some odd reason. _To think that I could remember Sephia's aria to the key signature but I cannot even place eight stupid bars! Of all the times to go senile!_

My head pulsed in a preeminent migraine. "I'm sorry, Molly. I cannot help you right now. If I remember, then I shall-"

"Forget it. You've probably forgotten more than I'll ever learn." She got up and strode toward the door. Her glare had returned to cloud her eyes. "Thanks for the tea." And she was gone into the storm, not waiting for me to mend her injured knees.

Not that I was exactly glad to help such a taciturn bitch. I would have much $preferred the villager's whines to...whatever the hell that just was that I just got from her. _Good riddance!_

To even my current disdain, this was not the last I saw I of Molly or her horrid attitude.


	3. Duck For Cover!

**Well, I believe this was an interesting change of scenery. Usually people portray Molly to be bubbly or naïve or fragile. No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just...think it was time we looked at the darker shades of the Moon. Thank xXx Angel-Baby xXx, chocolatecheesecake23, floridapanther28, and Glomps of Death for sticking by me from the beginning. Kisses~**

* * *

**"But Nonno Gale,"** chirped his granddaughter from the window. "I thought Signora Beirne was your friend."

Gale opened his eyes, his nostalgic trance interrupted. "Yes, Zeta,...but bear in mind...I did not know Molly at this time. We became friends soon enough...but it took awhile due to that...lousy first impression."

Zeta combed her hand through her bangs, revealing a widow's peak in her bluish-black hair. "If I were you, I would have let her be. Why bother with a girl who didn't even give you courtesy or respect?"

"Because," he sighed, " I could tell...her intentions were good. She wanted the melody of the Blue Bell...so she could revive the ocean...and restore trade. She was using logic...and left not because she was mad...as she told me later...but because she was in a rush."

"Be that as it may, she was still rude to you. You might as well have withheld that information from her just for that slight." She propped herself up on the ledge and was mighty surprised to feel it crumble beneath her. She fell on the hard wooden floor. Moaning, she got up and rubbed her bruised back.

Gale smiled at his saucy grandchild. "And I suppose...I could have withheld that had I known the results."

"_Sta'zitto!_" (Shut up!)

* * *

**Molly did indeed return,** but not directly to me. The next I saw of Molly, she was with a small boy, scrambling about the town, placing objects everywhere. Maybe she was hoping to jog the Harvest Sprite's memory on a scavenger hunt. I hadn't a clue.

Before I could inquire about what they were up to, the energetic pair were on the rooftop of the Mayor's house. I stared at them through the window, drinking another cup of herbal tea that Colleen taught me how to make. It wasn't coffee, but it sustained me. So I sat and watched them and their curious escapade. The boy took an egg out of his messenger bag and placed it on the slanted roof. It rolled off, flew into the air and landed atop my chimney.

I gawked at it, then the flustered youths, then back at my chimney. I had an egg stuck in my chimney! What kind of person gets an egg stuck in their chimney-better yet, how did a child manage that?

I would have yelled at them, but they had now burst into laughter. Typical scene, I know; I might as well have pulled my lips in, shaken my fist, and yelled in a scratchy voice, "You rotten kids!" But I didn't have to. I simply squinted my eyes at them, shook my head, and slowly lifted the tea to my mouth still staring at them. Molly took one look at me and broke into another fit of laughter. They pointed at the chimney.

I followed their gaze.

There was a duckling in the chimney now. It was even staring right at me. It just stared and let out a ridiculously long quack. It was more like that awkward noise you get trying to get the last of the air out a whoopee cushion. I guess it wanted out.

"What...the...duck?" I stared at Molly once more. "You hatched a duck...in my house. Great...so am I to assume...you want him back or...?"

Molly grinned. "The egg wasn't supposed to be fertilized. He's all yours, but he'll be of no use stuck up there. Wait, don't you have one of those fire accordion things?

I blinked. "'Fire accordion'? Do you mean...a 'billow'?" I chuckled at her analogy. "Yes, Molly, I just so happen to own one. Can I trust you to catch him...or will I end up launching him into yet another chimney?"

"Oh, shut up!"

~About an hour later~

"I am telling you, there is nothing funny about getting slapped in the face by a fish." Molly pouted and turned away from her friend, whose name I learned was Paolo.

"Yes there is, especially when you're meters away from the spring," Paolo chuckled. He turned to me, beaming. "So how do you like your new little companion? What are you gonna name him?"

I hadn't thought about that yet. I was probably going to just call him 'Duck', but that wouldn't do him much justice; Goddess knows how degrading it is to just be called 'Wizard' all the time. I took a look at him to see what might befit him. He was small and round like a kyūsu tea kettle. Maybe I'll name him Kyū. But how to spell that? And naming him Sue was cruelty in and of itself. Maybe I'd name him Tea. Wait, there are duck-like birds called 'teals' on the mainland. _Teal_. Has a nice ring to it

"Yes, I'll name him Teal."

"'Teal?' What a peculiar name."

"And what about our magic friend himself-what do you suppose his name is?" They both gave me a falsely innocent stare.

I blanched. Ah, the dreaded million-dollar question. I do not tell people my name for fear that they could identify me. It has a lot of links to the past that I would rather not join. "That's none of your concern. I can tolerate being called 'Wizard'." Just barely though.

Molly shrugged. "Fine, if that's how you want to treat your friends." She pivoted around and walked back toward the west. "I've got better things to do than to play charades with you."

I heard Paolo yawn from behind me. I turned to him and saw that his little brunette head was nodding with fatigue. I felt bad for him; it appeared he might fall asleep here if I let him alone. "Do you...need me to carry you home, Paolo?" he nodded and let out a tiny moan of assent. I took him up in my arms and lay his head against my shoulder. There was an odd warmth to his breath and I could hear his minute snore in my ear.

We made the ten minute journey from my house to his, Teal waddling behind me idly. Ozzie was at the doorway with a lantern to receive his slumbering child. He thanked me


	4. Gale's Insomnia

That night, I did not sleep too well. Due to the years of still life, I've gotten used to falling asleep to complete silence or occasional rainfall. For a while, all was sound and quiet. But then came a noise I had not heard in a while.

The continuous dull roar of the ocean. _Dios mio;_ the sea was alive at last. Whatever it was that Molly and Paolo were doing, it indeed brought the sea to life again.

It was not the sound that kept me; it was curiosity. Could that strange machine Paolo built really have played the right tune? Surely such a small child could not have thought of such a design all by himself; not even I in my ripeness could have thought to arrange items in such an order. It seemed more of an elaborate prank than a thought-out process.

To think that for a decade, I had been living amidst a child genius. I should probably collaborate with him on a project of some sort. We might be recognized by prestigious colleges on the Mainland like Harvard or Princeton or Yale, and they might give us grants to study abroad!

Bah, what am I thinking? Who would let an old man like me in their school? And why does the thought of school thrill me? I am about a millennium overdue on my death certificate and have no need to go to Yale. I have all the knowledge I need at my fingertips when need be.

My lovely crystal ball.

On the table in the center or my living space lies a translucent sapphire orb. That orb has been passed down from master to apprentice for as long as our kind has existed. So came the day that my teacher-a woman by the name of Desideria-passed it on to me. She taught me all its secrets. With it, I could see into the soul of anyone I desired; I could see beyond any mountain so I didn't need to risk my life to find out the same.

We mages had a cult once and these mythical items were common place, but we were hunted down for such unearthly practices and our tools are scarce. We only desired knowledge, a solution to life's mysteries, as do humans. But for using different instruments with which to explore were we damned.

I am truly glad that after centuries of spurn, such hatred has ended. The villagers now know me as the antisocial fortune-teller. They come to me for prophesies of love, wealth, peace, rivalry, tribulation, and tragedy. I am nearly always at the mercy of the ball's omniscience and assaulted with information enough to fill the Congressional Library.

I lay in my bed and wondered what could be lying ahead for these poor souls now that the sea is restored. Would they leave for more fertile soil, or perhaps try to trade their mundane produce for supplies to gain their small income? I would have looked but-oh!-how tired I was. Perhaps tomorrow morning I could wait for a client to ask. Go lazy man's way!

Oh, wretched slumber! Why must you evade me? I attempted to smother my face in the pillow. "Go. To. Sleep!" Nope, can't sleep if I can't breathe. All I could do was lay there and stare at my dull ceiling. When I moved in centuries ago, I had arranged a design for it, but I never found anyone who could do it. Probably all for the best, for I would have been more compelled to stare at it all night. With a blank space, you can fade into the blankness easily. My eyes fluttered shut and I let all of my thoughts swim about and consume me in a mass of unsequenced dreams.

It was a pity that I only had an hour before the rooster crowed and awoke me from my lull. I groaned and shielded my eyes. Did the sun get a bazillion times brighter overnight?!

* * *

**Filler chapters can suck, sometimes I know. I was tired when writing this, Gale is having insomnia, c'est la vie. Next time I'll write better, I swear!**


	5. Vivi's First Visit

The next morning was rather warm for winter. I felt comfortable enough to omit my heavy blue cloak from my usual garb. Setting it on the back of the chair at me desk, I took the opportunity to lean on it and stretch. You would know how unstable old furniture is, given that experience earlier, so guess what happens? I tip forward, bang my chin on the desk, and flop down on the floor. All I could do is lay there groaning, it hurt so much.

Teal-I told you about my pet duck already, right?-he was asleep on the desk until the crash, then he was on my head, along with a couple of books he was nesting on. His eyes popped open and he honked in agitation. I felt his feet on my head and his tiny bill dig into my neck. Tiny flustered quacks.

I looked up at him. "Just one of those kinds of days," I mumbled. _"Stupendo."_ Teal got up again and waddled down my back.

I heard the door open behind me and Teal flop on the floor in surprise. A visitor? And they could see me like this? I was utterly embarrassed.

"_Buongiorno_, Gale-chan!" a familiar shrill voice called. _Vivi. _She was a mere child in this town when I came here centuries back. Nearly five hundred years old, but still acts like an oblivious child. She kicked me to turn me over. I groaned again. "Hey, Gale, what are you doing on the ground in this mess? You're supposed to hit the books, not the other way around!"

I grimaced. "Duly noted. Now could you be a dear," I raised my hand toward the ceiling, "and help an old man out?"

"Oh don't be such a baby. You can get yourself up." Thank you, dear. Such a help, aren't you? She took a second look at me and gasped. "My goddess, your ribs are cracked and your chin's split. You need a doctor!"

I mouthed 'yeah kinda' in that sarcastic manner I've seen Molly use so much. She pouted. "Fine, since I kind of need you..." She lifted me up by the pit and arm. I could hold myself up fine but it hurt to move to walk. As I thanked her, I noticed she was blushing a bit. I don't recall gaining any significant weight. Unless...

"You 'need' me...you say?"

"Not that kind of 'need'. I wanted to help the Goddess out. She's starting to die off and while I fix one of the bells to get it ringing again, I wanted to make a quick remedy. There was a potion I've heard of that-"

I cut her off. She has one of those elemental bells Molly was referring to? I limped to the door and slammed it shut. "You stole. A bell. From the Goddess." I added the same venom as if I heard her say she stabbed the Goddess herself.

"Yeah, it stopped ringing, so I'm going to fix it." She raised her voice. "Why?"

"From what Molly has told me, the bells control the elements. When you take the bell off the frame, you significantly weaken that element. You've taken away a crucial part of the ecosystem and that's assisting in creating this imbalance.

She scoffed. "So you're saying it's my fault the Goddess is getting sicker?"

"You've done your part, I must say!"

"Why, you little..._fastidio,_" she screeched. "Whatever, I'll just fix it myself! Thanks for nothing!"

_You do that. _I watched her march to the door and take a vial of blue liquid and gels out of the curing basket nearby. Surprised, I grabbed her wrist in an effort to tear the vial from her. She pulled back. "That is a solution of Fugue spores and Miracle Water. The former causes asphyxiation and the latter is a preservative for vegetation much like embalming fluids on a corpse!"

"I'm old enough to know how to use substances by now. I don't need a babysitter."

I tightened my grip on her wrist, almost intent on breaking it in my frustration. You apparently do not grasp the severity of the risk you are taking. If you use this and anything goes awry in the slightest bit, it could have devastating effects on the Goddess. You could paralyze her, kill her, kill the plants for miles around, halt the waves again, even start a plague, Viveka!"

"Don't use that name! I've never let anyone call me that before and I'm-" She jerked her arm away again.

"That's not the point!" I let go of her and watched her fall to her rear. I took a deep heaving sigh. "Please, Vivi, I am asking you as a friend and a citizen here. You cannot cheat life through spells for long. If you really want to be of help, put the bell back on its frame and leave well enough alone."

Vivi got up and opened the door. I could see a heavy cloud pass over her brow. Her voice had dimmed from a nasal yell to what seemed like a sob. "You can't look through a crystal ball for long either, Gale. That's cheating, if you now want to go on ethics." She left without another word.

I picked up the chair and books I dropped. Teal picked up a piece of paper that fell out of the Scottish atlas. It was addressed to me centuries ago.

_'...signed with love and respect...Viveka Bengtsson.' The letter that she wrote when moth...when Desideria passed away. She taught Vivi for a while too. _I had tried to protect her since that day, back when we were friends. Compared to me, she was a child, but a smart one. I knew she'd find some way to help without me. I just hope she didn't get into any more trouble with this.

* * *

**You have probably played the game before. You know what happens to the Witch...**

**Yes, You discover the Witch before the Blue Bell is even an issue, but a lot of things are still left blank for you, so you're like "what if...". That's what makes it fun!**


	6. The Storms & Sa-chan's Rescue

**"Not again,"** Zeta slapped her hand to her face.

"What is it now, _mi nipote?_" Gale glanced at her. She was staring out the window, probably at the high waves that came around summer.

"Just a stupid storm starting up again, no biggie." She waved him off. "Continue."

"'Just a stupid storm', you say?" Gale rubbed his temples. "You do not appreciate nature nearly so much as the last generation to romp about this house. Your aunts, uncles, and especially your _mamma_ loved to play in the rain. But every time, the boys would come in wet and cranky, the girls flinched and squealed in their soaked dresses, and your mamma would trot in covered from head to toe in mud and break into peals of laughter. I was always baffled and La Nonna would shake her head. But you, being your mamma's only child-a charming girl, no less-will not dare leave this house. You do not know what fun you are missing."

"Fun," scoffed Zeta, "and stupidity are totally different. Besides, what fun could there be in the rain besides fishing."

"Mud puddles, splashing your friends, dancing like an idiot, drawing pictures of the raindrops hitting the leaves and pipes..."

"Nonno Gale, I'm fourteen, not four."

"And old enough to find a way to occupy yourself...and daresay, to date boys. I actually met your mother when she was still young, after a storm like this."

"Is that when you gave her that ring she wore to the grave?"

"No, that was La Nonna. No, I found your mamma first."

"You found Mamma. So you're not my real grandpa?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not. He is long in the grave. Goddess rest his soul, but he was not exactly a martyr."

"Anyway, the storm?" Zeta did not yet seem ready to learn of the man her supposed grandpa left in time.

"Ah, yes, about a week after the fight..."

* * *

**Molly visited again,** still flaunting her rude manner. I was reading one of my astrology books when I felt her yank my braid. I winced. "Ding-dong, the witch ain't dead."

"Hello, Miss Beirne."

Thank goodness she had bought a raincoat with her. I could remorselessly kick her out now. She patted Teal on the head, who did not seem too happy about her visit either. "So, Wiz-bang," she said, sitting down at the table across from me.

What?

I blinked. "'Wiz-bang'? Do your friends call me that too?"

"What friends?" I glanced at her over the book I was reading. "I'm a lone wolf. Hate the humans so I don't talk to them."

I shut the book with my fingers. How intriguing; I thought there was something about her that was odd. "So you aren't a human?"

"Nope, I can't be. Humans are annoying egocentric parasites that multiply beyond sustenance. I don't fit the description, so I'm not human." Wow. so she's a cynic. That explains her sour moods and dry humor.

I groaned. "Okay, and people often picture wizards as old men with long white beards and pointy hats. Do I look the part?"

"I just figured that Luna finally got you to try Aveeno. But judging by those wrinkles under your eyes, I'll have to assume I was-"

"What do you want?" I was quickly running out of patience with this girl. Maybe if I got down to the point, she'd understand that I don't enjoy her one-sided banter.

"Alright, geez, I wanted to check on you. The rain out there is pretty bad and I-" A loud crack of thunder interrupted her this time. She yelped and hid her face. So she was afraid of thunder. Didn't she know that distant noises like that couldn't hurt her?

Her voice shaking, she continued. "Not everyone likes spending storms alone. I thought you might like some company."

_Poor fool__..._ "Your viper tongue can only hiss for so long, I see." I stood up, walked up to her chair, and grasped her upper arms. "Your coat, _se non ti dispiace._"

She raised her arms backward so I could remove the red garment. "You sure say funny things sometimes. Where do you come from?"

"In truth, I spent most of my life on an island north of here called Waffurushima, which translates to 'Waffle Isle'. I learned Italian from my teacher Desideria, who herself grew up in Italy. I spoke it before I learned common English. Would you like come coffee?"

"Boy, would I?!" I chuckled as I waited for her to pout and say 'I mean, yes please'. But she didn't. She looked back at me. "Would you perhaps care to make some or did you put some voodoo magic on the utensils expecting the coffee to brew itself?" Classic Molly.

Before I could get to the kitchen area, I was assaulted by the door. I fell into the coatrack and onto the floor with Molly's jacket still at hand. She yelped again. This really was not my week.

Rubbing my sore shoulder, I regained my balance and looked at my new guest. What do you know; it was Paolo. "Guys, there's a kappa stuck in the sand!"

"A what?!"

"Yeah, there's a little thing with a slimy green body and flat feet flailing around. I need help getting it out!"

"_Dannazione!_ It's going to suffocate!" I tossed Molly her coat and threw mine on in a flurry. "Why didn't you get your father or someone in a closer house? Never mind, come on!"

As soon as we got to the beach, I saw the writhing creature in the sand. Without checking the angle, I yanked it out and landed with a thud. I could here it coughing and vomiting beside me. The kappa lives!

But when, I looked back at it a saw it was not a kappa at all-but a human baby covered in algae. By its anatomy, it did not seem strong enough to stand. Yet it survived the journey here from wherever it came. It had long indigo locks which clung to its neck. Its eyes were caked with sand. "My goddess, she'll go blind!" I scrambled to my feet once more and took the child up in my arms, letting them puke on my jacket. "I'm taking the babe to Irene. Paolo, search ask town if anyone is missing a baby. Beirne, go to the General Store and find me some diapers. Size 3 will suffice."

Off I went to the clinic. I didn't even knock before going in. I regret having frightened the nurse, Irene, but the child was more important at the time. As I placed it on the examination table, Irene started bombarding me with questions. I held up my hand. "I don't have time for explanation. This baby is vomiting, it has sand in its eyes, and has probably got some in its system. It needs help pronto.

For ten minutes, we rinsed out the child's eyes with water and cleaned her pruned skin the best we could (we learned during the bath that the baby was a girl). She cried for a majority of the time because her flesh had multiple burns from the sand and salt water rubbing against it. But once she was powdered and diapered when Molly returned, she was immediately calmer. In fact, she looked right at Irene and started blowing spit bubbles. It was a good thing she didn't appear to have stranger anxiety, because we wouldn't see her mother for a long while.


	7. Sa-Chan's Story

**The poor thing. I wonder how the island will take care of their new little citizen...**

**Thanks to everyone who reads this story. I absolutely need ratings so leave a comment, critique, or whatever when you can.**

* * *

**"Mah-me-toe!"** The baby pointed to a jar of thermometers at Jin's desk.

"That's right," Dr. Jin cooed, "those are thermometers. What a smart girl you are."

"Yup! Old doctor told me. Me get hot."

"Really? How hot?"

She spread her arms out and pointed her fingers. "Like this much!"

Jin chuckled. Only a week ago, Gale had brought this baby to the clinic, whimpering and puking until she was too weak too really move. But she made a good recovery by the next day and began sharing her store of knowledge with the doctor and his nurse Irene. She was very good with objects in the office. It made Jin think that perhaps she was all too familiar with such an atmosphere. Just where did she come from?

"So, what's your name?" Jin asked.

She looked down at her thick feet. "Mamma say no tell name to strangers. Mean people snatch me up. I get snatched up after born and Mamma no find me till Easter. Lucky the man was really nice and taked care of me. Soon Mamma and man goed out. I seed them kiss."

Jin gasped. This baby had been separated from her mother before and she was not fussing. She doesn't even seem to know her father-or recognize him if the man she's referring to is her father.

"Can you tell us your mother's name, at least?" Irene asked. Irene prepared a damp cloth to wash the girl's face.

She shook her head. "Me no know."

"Okay," Jin thought for a moment. There had to be some clue to where she came from. "What about the man your mother goes out with? Surely he's told you his name by now."

She looked at him for a moment and leaned in toward him. "It secret. You can't tell nobody. Promise?" Jin and Irene smiled and nodded. Children had such silly secrets and bug imaginations that the pair could not help but wonder how she interpreted her [step]father. "His name is Vaughn. He friends with Phantom Skye."

Irene gawked. "The thief who uses potions that smell like curry?" The girl nodded. "So this man is friends with him. Did he tell you this?"

"Yup, and I saw him. Mamma hate him though. Says he a cab and a bad daddy. I didn't know Skye was a daddy 'fore that."

Irene just stared at her. "Is it possible he's your father?"

"Nope," she answered immediately. "Or I'd be mean thief too!"

Jin smiled and shook his head. She was so smart, but naïve. It was a curious thing that she went missing from her mother again. "Does your mother or this 'Vaughn' man know you're gone?"

She avoided his gaze. He saw tears form in her sea green eyes. "Mamma drowneded. That's why we no find her. She in ocean, gone forever never."

"At least she's in Heaven now," Irene sighed.

She glared at her. "Mamma say Heaven not real. It just a lie parents tell kids to make them think dead person can hear and see them." She stood on the table. "Water block sound; she never hear me. Salt hurt eyes; she never see me. Use you head, old lady! She dead!"

She flopped back down and sobbed. Jin held her to his side. She took this as a sign that it was okay to blow her nose into his jacket. He could not believe that a child's own mother would say such a thing. She must be twice as terrified of death than she should be.

"There is a Heaven, child," he said sternly, "but there is no room for such mean people. Your mother is probably sitting on a cloud right now, right outside Heaven's gates feeling like a complete fool for telling you there's no such thing." The girl actually chuckled a bit through her sniffling. "And if she is alive, I ought to give her a piece of my mind. It sounds like she doesn't give you nearly enough care, leaving you out at sea."

"We fell out a boat after it catched on fire. It go 'Phwoooo!' and out we fly. Vaughn swim fast, with a tiny man on back, but Mamma no swim good with me. She ascared of water, Terry-fly, she say once. I never without either Vaughn or Mamma till I fall out her arms in storm. They love me bunches. But Mamma gone now and I no know where Vaughn is."

The bell on the door rung, indicating a new patient. A woman stumbled into the examination room. Her ankle was bruised and swollen and her face looked rather pale.

"Oh no. She sprain ankle?" The woman jumped back despite her injury. She had not noticed the baby. "I getted washed up on beach. I patient too. Don't worry; Doctor Jin make you all better like me!" She grinned as if nothing had gone wrong. The woman, Jin and Irene all smiled as well.

* * *

**Finally, somebody other than Gale narrates. I kinda like this chapter, though it's sad. Some of my first readers might recognize Vaughn and Sara from Karaoke Night. You'll see this and Homecoming Quest intertwine once I stop being lazy and retype the latter. So goodbye and PLEASE post a comment!**


	8. Gale and Sa-Chan

**It had been a week** since I rescued the child. I was growing curious about her state over that time. She was very fussy upon rescue but only during the first night did I hear her crying. She was with Dr. Jin and Irene so they must have had it covered. For all I knew, the baby was with her parents and already headed home, not even looking back at the island.

Or she could have died that night from mineral poisoning or pneumonia. It's happened many times before. With all that time away from land, she could have swallowed a lot of salt water and sand. She could have very well starved along the way. A small child is the most prone to difficulties after trauma or disease. Anything could have happened to her by now.

Oh, how I wish I had visited earlier. I grabbed my cloak and yanked my door open. Out the door I flew and took a giant leap to the middle level of town. Unfortunately, I don't know how to land well (as you may have guessed already). That is to say, I face-planted on the ground and broke my nose to one side. Man, I'm really doing good, aren't I?

* * *

I rapped on the door with my free hand. Jin opened it and gasped. "Signor Cartomante..." This was a name I often went by with the older villagers (Cartomante means 'fortune-teller') but Jin took this up as that is probably what his grandmother and nurse Irene still calls me. "What happened to you? Does that not hurt?"

I smirked. "No, that's why I'm here. This doesn't bother me at all." He held a fixed gaze at me. "May I please come in?" He got out of the way."

"You know," he said as I hung my cloak on the rack, "they should call you 'Signor Sapientone' instead." I glowered. I do not enjoy being refered to as a smart-ass, especially when- "Then again, I think Miss Beirne has that just about covered." He and I exchanged an empathetic smile. So I was not the only one who was slightly irritated by her rude manners.

He took me into a room to dress my wounds. I did not notice until now that my chin, left cheek, palms and upper lip stung. He dipped a cotton ball into a bowl clear liquid-I'd have to guess an antiseptic-and then pressed it to each of my cuts. I winced at each one. "Yes, I realize that you probably know some hocus-pocus that could patch you up in minutes and it doesn't sting nearly so much as this, but you were a patient as soon as you knocked on my door."

"This is no problem at all. What kind of person visits a doctor and doesn't allow them to help?" He nodded and proceeded to sew my nose back into place. I cried out, but regained my composure the next second. "By the by, how was your trip to Nikkō-Jima?"

"The trip to the island was wonderful, but my return here was not an easy one. The ship we travelled on capsized after an engine fire and many were thrown overboard if they had not already fallen off. I was found by a rescue team by the next morning, but it occurs to me that the child you found was a victim who found shore the hard way." _So he knows my concern after all._

"According to her," he continued, "her mother drowned as she had severe aquaphobia and could not swim and her stepfather was carrying another passenger on his back and could not possibly support her. However our little friend survived is beyond me, but as far as I can see, she is healthy and shows no signs of brain damage." he looked up at me. "In fact, I venture to say she is very intelligent."

"May I see her?" I asked.

He nodded and gestured for me to follow him to one of the patient rooms. In it was the little girl playing with a stuffed polar bear. She seemed to be enjoying herself, babbling incomprehensibly and giggling every now and then. Her once crusty eyes were wide open and held a bright green hue. Her purple hair had curled up, but almost reached her shoulders. She had obviously gained weight and strength since I last saw her, which pleased me.

Jin waved her hand at her. Without looking up, she murmured, "Hello, Doc. What up?"

"You have a visitor. This is Signor Cartomante, the fortune-teller who lives in our town. He is the man who pulled you out of the sand when you landed here.

She stopped playing and looked at me. She was obviously shocked to see so many cuts on me. But in an effort not to acknowledge it, she asked, "Does that mean you're gonna call me 'struzzo' from now on." Why would I call her an 'ostrich'? Oh-her head was in the sand! "My name Sara. I wanna be called that or 'Sa-chan', like Mommy call me."

Jin pouted. "Oh, sure, you tell him your name when you've just met him, but I've known you for a week and you wouldn't tell me."

"It ob-vacation," she said flatly. Jin cackled. It's obvious she meant 'obligation', but the way she mispronounced it was just so cute that I had to laugh as well. I'm surprised she even knew that word to mispronounce it. She looked at me again. "Missus Irene gave me this. Her name Orsina." She-bear. Fitting name, if I do say so.

"Hi, Orsina," I said, waving at the toy. _Why'd I do that?_

She put the bear to her ear. "Orsina say she see you in window and tell you stop jumping offa roofs." I laughed again. She didn't have to tell me twice!

* * *

**Well, now we know her name. Gale's injury is loosely based on an injury I sustained myself last week, only I was running on the sidewalk and tripped as opposed to jumping off of a rooftop and missing the ground. And my nose and hands were in no way harmed; instead was my left knee, my chest and glasses. I'm much better now, so no need to worry.**

**Anyway, be sure to comment. Please. I'll be your best buddy.**


	9. Well What Do You Know?

**Ah, leave it to Sa-chan to refresh everybody with her naivety and big person's baby talk. Thank you to whoever left the first comment to this story. I really appreciate it and they contributed to a huge ego boost. The reference to a woman named Pricilla is actually talking about the Witch Princess in Sunshine Islands and Island of Happiness. As is 'Nikko-Jima' which itself means 'sunshine island'**

* * *

**February 3rd, 2011**

**Dear Diary**

What an odd child Gale has found. She has the vocabulary of a three-year-old but looks not a day over two! Ever since Gale I've visited the girl every other day and observed her playing with her stuffed toy. The child really loves bears from what I can see. She draws them, pretends to be them, and asks for bear-ear hats for her birthday. She reminds me of my old friend Pricilla from Nikko-Jima. I wouldn't be surprised to find this girl doing magic someday or calling everyone 'Human'.

She's very smart, I can tell from her carriage. She is very aware of the world and the circle of life. Maybe Dr. Jin and Gale will let me take her on as an apprentice. Then again, they're probably so stiff that they wouldn't let me in the same room as her if they had their way.

Yesterday, she had been playing with her toy 'Orsina' when she spotted the calendar and gasped. "Think it Mommy birthday." I asked her where her parents were today. She sighed and answered, "I no know where Vaughn is. Mommy drowneded in ocean." I was surprised by her answer. I didn't think that she knew what drowning was.

Dr. Jin came in to give her a juice bottle with bunnies on it. She gleefully chugged it. Jin told me meanwhile that 'Sara' probably rode the same ship back home as he did and fell overboard. Her stepfather was lugging a person to shore on his back. Her mother tried to carry her to shore, but was afeared of water and could not swim. Therefore, she eventually drowned.

Now, it was not an issue of apprenticeship, but of parenthood. Knowing Gale's reputation as well as my own, Humans didn't trust magical beings with their young. But I asked anyway if I could care for her. Sara stopped drinking to answer, "No thanks. I comfy here. Doctor take care of me and I like him. He, his wife Anissa, and the nurse Irene are family now. I don't feel good leaving."

And that was that. Not even she trusted me. She must have seen me frown because she said, "Don't feel sad. The boy who found me in the sand and Signor _Cartomante_-who pull me out and take me here-couldn't take me to their homes either. I no trust _Cartomante_ because he clumsy." _She must be referring to Gale, _I thought. You all visit whenever you like. You can be Auntie _Strega_!" I blinked. 'Auntie Witch'? Wait-Holy Hogwarts, she's bilingual! The marvels of this girl are many. I must study her sometime.

_Yours Truly,_

_Viveka Begntsson_

* * *

**The sun is way too bright** for winter. I really don't feel that this place is right. Then again, nothing feels right at the moment. I let my own girlfriend and stepdaughter drown while Denny and I are perfectly fine. On top of that, Denny can swim and float. Celeste cannot swim for her life and thus would panic and drown in minutes. Sara can only stay afloat for so long even with all her fat. _Oh, Goddess above, please forgive me and spare the child!_

Denny is sputtering and coughing on his back while I'm face-down in the sand. He gets up and hoists me up by the arms. "Yo, Vaughn, get up! We're alive."

"Yeah," I mumble, "I guess we are."

We look around at our new surroundings. Denny gasps and pats my shoulder. "Vaughn. Look, man!" He gestures to a green garment of some sort. We walk closer to it. It seems to be a shirt, no, a hat! _Sara's hat._ I picked it up and dusted it off. Not far from it was a shallow pool in the sand it appeared just big enough for her head. I grab Denny on his shoulders. "Do you realize what this means?"

"That your daughter is a 'La Struzzo'," he says with a smile.

I squint at him. "I'm guessing that's some sort of hermit crab. No, it means she's here and probably having some care taken for her."

"Perhaps an undertaking?" I once again squint. "You've got to think; it's been Goddess-knows-how-long since we last saw her and judging by the depth of that hole, Sara was pretty deeps in there." He paused and moved his foot about. I look down at the pile of yellowish substance he had stepped into, the back up at him and restrain a smile. Grimacing, he says, "It occurs to me that I may be standing in her barf."

I let out a guffaw, then regain composure. "Okay, you check to the Nor...Sou..." I have no internal compass, but I notice that the town has two levels of buildings, "the lower level; I'll check the upper buildings and we'll meet at that photo shop over there. He nods and runs off toward what I think is the clothing shop. "Here goes nothing."

SONATA TAILORING  
-Denny: I thought this place was familiar. Castanet Isle. Hello?  
-Candace: N...neh?  
-Shelly: Good evening, young man.  
-Luna: Oh, hi there, Denny! What can I do for you?  
-Denny: You work here, Luna?  
-Luna: Yep, my grandma owns the store.  
-Denny: Hello, ma'am...anywho, have you seen a small toddler with curly purple hair and big green eyes?  
-Shelly: Sorry, can't say I have.  
-Luna: We'll tell you if we see him okay?  
-Denny: It's a girl, but thank you. I'll see you around. ...Oh sorry, hi Candace. How are you?  
-Candace: Zzz...  
-Shelly: She's had a long day. I'll tell her you said hello when she wakes up.

OCARINA INN  
-Vaughn: Hello?  
-Jake: Good evening, sir. Is this your first time here?  
-Ah, no. Actually, I think I've been here as a kid. But I'm not here to stay. I was wondering if you saw a little toddler with a purple 'fro and big green eyes.  
-Jake: I cannot say that I have. Did you lose track of your child?  
-Vaughn: It's humiliating, really. I'm a disgrace to Daddies everywhere.  
-Jake: No, not really. I sometimes lose my eighteen-year-old around this island.  
-Vaughn: Oh, well at least she is old enough to find her way back.  
-Jake: ...  
-Vaughn: So good luck with that and thanks anyway.

HARMONICA FISHING CO.  
-Ozzie: Denny! My old pal. How is everything?  
-Denny: Ah, not so good. You see, I lost my niece somewhere. She has curly purple hair and big green eyes.  
-Ozzie: Hm?  
-Toby: That's...  
-Paolo: I've seen her. The Cartomante took her to the clinic. Either check there or his fortune house!  
-Denny: You're a real pal, Paolo. Thank you so much. Tell Pascal that I dropped in!  
-Toby: Speaking of dropping...  
-Denny: I'll explain later. Bye.

CHORAL CLINIC:  
-Irene: Hello, Denny. Are you here for an examination.  
-Denny: Ordinarily, I'd be all for it, but for now I'll have to pass.  
-Jin: Irene, we need an aspirin for Patient Number Five. Ah, hello there, Mr. Dennis. How are you?  
-Denny: Alright. You wouldn't happen to have a little patient named Sara, would you?  
-Jin: Why yes! She's brought you up before. Come, follow me. ...Right through this curtain.  
-Sara: ...and the green piece go in-Denny! I miss-ed you!  
-Denny: Me too, honey. Are you behaving?  
-Sara: Yeah! Doctor is awesome! He maked me all better!  
-Vivi: Oh, my. Who's this?  
-Denny: Dennis Guerra, her uncle.  
-Vivi: Viveka Begntsson, her new friend.  
-Sara: Yeah. You bring friend?  
-Denny: Yes, I brought Vaughn. Lemme go get him be right back!  
-Irene: Watch your step. Don't run.  
-Denny: Sorry, Irene.

EMPTY HOUSE  
-Vaughn: Dang, locked. Hello in there!  
Nothing  
-Vaughn: Hello?  
-Denny: Hello up there!  
-Vaughn: Aiyee! Don't...don't scare me like that! Did you find her!?  
-Denny: Yeah, the doc says she's in a recovery room. She's talking to some witch lady!  
-Vaughn: Holy shoot! Are you serious?!  
-Denny: No, I'm pulling your leg! Just follow me!

* * *

**And enter IOH's very own Vaughn and Denny!**

**I'd have to say that this is the longest chapter yet. I'm not sure that this interrogation-style format was a good idea, so I won't be using it again any time soon. Rate me please. I need feedback on this.**


	10. Found At Last

At last! My little stepdaughter was safe and sound. I sprinted into the clinic to meet her.I was going to ask where Sara was, but Denny pulled me by my collar. "Room Nine."

We pulled back the curtain and found Sara fidgeting and rubbing her butt on the bed. "I think I got a 'squito bite on my hinny." She looked at me and blushed. "Um, not good way to say hi." I shook my head at her. I didn't have much to say about that except only my daughter thinks that it's physically possible to get a mosquito bite under your clothes.

It's funny to think that I raised her from newborn to now. She used to be so quiet and lethargic, but she became a squirmy little bugger once she turned ten months old. I'm not sure if she got stronger over time or if she was messing with me. She's now...almost two years old and she seems to have now developed a few fine motor skills. I mean, I would assume that the drawings on the table of grizzly bears and her mother were her doing. And she's able to catch her new toy from four feet in the air as she absently tosses it.

Not only that, but now she's saying intelligent things. She used to only say little sentences aboard the ship. No not even sentences, but self-centered phrases like "Me hungry" or "Go poopie." Then again, maybe that's all we paid attention to. She used to babble while we talked with other parents. Maybe that babble was really jumbled talk that she has un-scrambled now. For all I know, she has no idea where her hinny really is.

Denny gestured toward a young woman wearing a short dress and headband with a witch's hat attached to it. "Vaughn, This is Viveka. She's been keeping Sara company over the last week. Viveka, this is Vaughn, Sara's stepfather."

"Nice to meet you. You should really keep an eye on your kid; she's got quite the mind." I blushed, once again humiliated.

"This mean," Sara said as she caught her stuffed bear again, "we go home? If you alive and I alive, maybe Mommy alive and land here."

I patted her head. "That's probably not going to happen. It was a longshot that I landed here with you. Mommy's most likely to wash up on some other shore. She's probably fine, but not here."

She slumped and pouted her lips. "Or she could've drowned-ed."

I sighed. Again, not likely. Celeste was afraid of the water, but she knew how to swim. If anything, Sara would've sunk like a stone. Why was this kid such a downer? Did Celeste spit out atheistic nonsense or something when she went under?

_When she went under._ Why do I say that; I just said she could swim. _Because she was holding Sara. You can't swim with one arm._ If she let go of Sara, the kid would have been shark-bait within seconds. Instead, she must have floated on her back with her laying on her stomach. Her clothes must have weighed her down and...

This girl saw her mother die under her and get swallowed up by what she feared most. Of course that's going to scar her.

I held my face in my hands. My chest felt tight and my breath staggered. _Crap, I was crying in front of my own little girl._ Sara saw the signs and grabbed my shoulders in an attempt to hug me. "No! No, I no say that! Mommy alive. Don't cry! If I alive, she alive. She say I her life, so she gotta be okay."

I laughed through my sobs and her close to me. "Thanks, _Mom._" She snickered too. Celeste held her the same way when she cried. She used a similar tone of voice when she was trying to calm someone down. This girl was the chibi version of her own Mom!

"Vaughn," she whispered.

"Yes, honey?"

"You smell like a d-e."

My eyes flipped open. _Did my daughter just say the word 'd-e'?! _I swear, in all my twenty-some years I have never used the word. Judging by her carriage, I would assume that Celeste never used one. Wait, this was a clinic; women come here with their problems. So it was this damn doctor's fault.

Vivi turned a bright carmine and Denny concealed his laughter in his bandana. He then winced. "Damn, it does smell like a~"

"Don't repeat it," I seethed, "Her mother shouldn't even know that word!"

I heard footsteps approaching our room. "Oh, Sara..." a voice cooed.

My breath caught in my throat. Denny blanched to the point of passing as white. Sara clung to me. "It's the thief man!" We knew that things would not turn out good with this headhunter around.

Denny looked around for an escape and found a window at the top of the room. He pulled a swivel chair underneath and climbed on. "Pass the munchkin to me, quick!" I handed over Sara. They climbed out the window. "Hang on to me, sweetie." After I heard the thud of them landing, I followed them and leapt onto the road

I would like to have said we made a clean getaway, but, there were two more unexpected visitors to the clinic that day...

* * *

**Gale's POV**

What on earth is going on out there? I hear yelling and knocking every other minute-goddess knows I can focus on my reading with that going on. Maybe they found more survivors washed up on the shore. Perhaps they're Sara's folks. I could introduce myself, say my goodbyes to the little one, and finally forget about this little ordeal.

I come out of my home and almost knock over a woman who was leaning against the door. She glares at me with narrow black eyes. Her long jet hair is adorned with loose jade beads Her red qi pao was shredded at the edges and soaking wet. She appeared to be missing a glove.

"Xiǎoxīn zǒulù," she shouted, swinging a fist at me.

Apparently she wasn't from around here because she didn't speak any native languages. I think she was speaking Cantonese-I wasn't sure because so few people I've met speak any Asiatic languages. My vocab there was not very fluent, but I was able to speak in basic sentences.

I don't speak Chinese. I speak English and Italian. If you're going to curse me out, at least let me understand how I'm being insulted. Okay, I'm intermediate.

She blinked at me. "Wow, for not speaking Chinese, you sure know how to speak Chinese." She laughed and brushed back one of my bangs. "Sorry for trying to cave your face in. I'm used to men attacking and harassing me." Don't we all go through that? "My name is Lily Suiren. I'm a treasure hunter."

She stepped closer to me. She smelled faintly of vanilla and jasmine. I blushed and stepped back into my home. "I...I'm the...town's wizard. Sorry to have scared you, signorina."

She clicked her tongue. "Shy one, aren't you? It's okay, I don't bite. I was actually hoping you could tell me where to find a witch named Celeste Feritali."

A shiver ran down my spine. I thought of baby Sara at the clinic. I didn't see the connection between the two of them, but I didn't like the odds that our new citizen would get hurt.

"I'm sorry, signora, but I do not usually fraternize with witches. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a riot to investigate." I slid past her and strode toward the source of the noise.

She trotted alongside me. "A riot, you say?"

"Yes. All afternoon I've heard men shouting outside, but it stopped shortly after we met. I want to check out the issue before it escalates. From my intuition, I have a feeling that that Celeste person you mentioned just now has something to do with it."

"Yes, perhaps, but I know those men. One was Vaughn Estevez, an associate of the phantom thief Skye."

I'd heard of this man before. He was a charming young klepto who lured his victims out of their houses with the curry-like smell of some sort of potion. He even had the nerve to warn his victims ahead of time, a very bold move on his part. He didn't seem the type to need any help, but as I've never met him, I'll take Lily's word for it.

"I heard them shouting about a girl named Sara. Rumors have been floating around about a child washing up on shore. She is said to be this 'Sara' -Skye's illegitimate child. It's possible because her visitors say she has-"

"-his flashing Peridot eyes," we said at once.

"And is this Celeste perhaps her mother?"

She gasped, "Yes." I wonder how we both came to that conclusion.

It was possible that Sara wasn't thrown overboard, but jumped over to escape someone. Being the mistress or lovechild of a criminal can bring you all sorts of trouble. No matter what happened to Celeste, the important thing was hiding Sara.

As we approached the clinic, I saw the window near the roof open-the window to Sara's room. A dark-skinned man popped out with Sara in his arms. She was clinging to him as he leapt out and landed right in front of me. He noticed Lily and I staring at him and stood there with a horrified expression. "I can explain myself." For the sake of his life, I would hope so.

A few seconds later, a white-haired cowboy jumped out the window and caught sight of us like his partner. He gasped and kept glancing between the two of us. "My Goddess..."

* * *

**Soooorryyyy! Iz so laaaaazzzzyyy!**

**Not really, just focused on school and reading. I tried to create a sense of an ill-timed coincidence. Just popped up in my brain, but I had to continue somehow.**


	11. Awkward

**"Alright, hold up** Nonno Gale! I'm utterly confused!"

Gale laughed and leaned back in his chair. "I know, it's confusing. That month so far had me mixed up, and I was-what-a couple hundred years old? Maybe we can straighten things out by recapping what we've learned. What have you picked up so far?"

Zeta looked down at a notepad she was writing in. "La Nonna Celeste, a witch, drowned in the ocean and died. You had a companion named Molly who kept ill company. You and Molly found Mamma buried on the beach. Vaughn was Mamma's stepdad. My real grandpa was the Phantom Skye, a notorious thief from two generations ago and apparently bad news for Mamma."

"So the issue is...?"

"A: Why isn't Dad or Grandpa Vaughn raising me? B: How could you have kids with a dead woman? C: How did Mamma get into your custody?"

"Well, A and C coincide with one another. Plus, Celeste wasn't proven dead yet; she was simply believed to be."

Zeta groaned. "My Goddess, Don't tell me La Nonna was one of those Mary-Sue ladies who you couldn't kill and all the guys fawned over."

"No, no. Actually, I can name a few people who despised her."

"For example?"

"You know about your paternal grandfather Jin and how he felt Celeste crushed your mother's spirits as a baby. In fact, he'd rather have been your mother's adopted father than her father-in-law."

"And that Molly girl disliked her too, right?"

"I don't count her. She was too much of a sourpuss to like any girls anyway."

Zeta leaned in toward Gale and whispered. "Bet you anything she was lesbian, though."

Gale copied her and said. "You'd probably win that one; she's married to a girl, remember."

She leaned back, turning a greenish hue. This had become a little awkward for her. "Okay. So back to the story; you found two men climbing out of his clinic window with Mamma..."

* * *

**Vaughn's POV**

**Oh my Goddess**, I'm screwed. Lily Suiren, Nikko-Jima's native hunter and gossip, was staring me down across the road. Next to her was a tanned voodoo-looking guy switching between gaping at me and Sara. I could only imagine what they'd be thinking of me right now. Lily will probably be submitting files of me as a criminal on this island. Then I'd never get out of here alive. And Voodoo guy-he's probably shocked to see a newcomer at all.

Lily smirked at me. "Ah, Vaughn Vaults Estevez. I should have known you'd wash up here with us. Come to reclaim your little gem."

Denny stepped toward the man. "Listen, we're sorry about appearances, but we need to hide now. We've got-"

"The Phantom Thief on your hands, yes." the man interrupted. "I've heard about you two."

"Wow, he speaks English..." I muttered.

He glared at me. "Yes, sir, I do. Do you want to see if this entire town does? Keep in mind, you're sneaking out of a clinic with a small child at hand and she doesn't resemble either of you. Just one shout and the whole neighborhood knows you're here."

So now this guy was threatening me. I'll admit we do look shady climbing out of a window, but something in this guy's manner suggest he knows otherwise. People don't usually condescend to others when surprised; he knows what's going on and is probably in on it.

I approached him. "Listen kid. As much as I'd like to punch your clock for cracking wise, we're kind of in a hurry."

"'Kid'? Oh, please. I'm probably older than you."

"Twenty-six."

"Five hundred and eighteen. And a half." And yet that added fraction was extremely childish. He blushed as he said it.

Lily cringed. He turned around with a smirk. "I'm sorry, dear child, were you looking for a date? I may not be virile, but I've still got some spring in my step."

"Indeed, it looks like the years have been kind to you, signore," a silken voice said. I looked to the rooftop of the clinic to see a boy lounging. His eyes were locked on Sara.

* * *

**Gale's POV**

So this was the infamous Phantom Skye I keep hearing about. He looked like a phantom: long whitish-gray hair, pale green eyes, sickly pale skin, slender frame. I'd sooner believe him an abandoned porcelain doll than a dangerous thief. Those eyes of his definitely got passed on to the little one.

"Well," he continued, "I suppose this is an uncommon occurrence. People don't normally spot me during the daytime. Are you harassing children as usual, Vaughn?" Why did everybody insist on my being a child? I was too old to have fathered any of these men and yet they act like my seniors.

He leapt from the window and stalked toward the young man holding Sara. "Hello there, little one. Did you miss me?" He went to tickle her chin, but she whimpered and pulled away. "Oh, come now. You can't mean to tell me you don't like me anymore. We played together a lot last time we met."

"Mamma say you a big meanie-head."

"Did she really. But I'm not a big meanie-head to you, am I?" He reached for her head and tousled her hair. She whined again and tried to push him off. "Such lovely curls she's got, just like her dear mother. Where is the fair maiden anyway?"

I guess it was reflex that I slapped his hand away. He turned his gaze on me. I was very unnerved for some reason, but kept composure. "I thought it obvious that they don't want you anywhere near this child. I'd kindly appreciate it if you leave her be."

He smirked. "Oh? And who might you be?"

"My buddy, Card-mint!" Sara pouted at him. "Now go 'way, you meanie!"

He pushed in front of me. "Ah, so you're this Signor Cartomante I've heard so much about. You seem a little twerpish for a master wizard. How has Desideria been?"

I glared at him. I never told anyone about my origins. "How do you know about Desideria?"

"Oh, please. I did research on the citizens here. I can't have my child living in a dangerous town. Anyhow, it seems you and this woman were awfully close."

I grabbed him by the wrist. "She was an adoptive guardian and protected me from head-hunters like yourself."

I heard footsteps running away from us; out of my peripherals, it appeared that Lily had fled. Ah, right. She was a hunter herself, wasn't she?

Skye glared at me. "A head-hunter, you say? They're just the people I've been fleeing from. They don't want me near this child at all." He pointed to the men protecting Sara. "They've brainwashed her into thinking that I'm evil and would hurt her."

"You're not a good influence. That's for sure" The dark-skinned man murmured. "You're a thief known across the continent. There are records of death in numerous houses you've visited. You steal prized family heirlooms. Plus you have a thing for flirting with multiple women."

Vaughn took his hat off, revealing a mess of grayish hair. "Also, you have to consider that the women eventually find out about these rendezvoux with eachother and grow bitter."

"Oh come on. I'm the perfect little angel," Skye purred.

"That's not how I read you." I countered. "I'm sure that even Sara's memories would tell a different story."

"You can read her memories? Like a human diary?"

"Don't!" Vaughn shouted. "I don't trust you either."

"I promise that I won't leave this spot until she's back in your arms. I only want to help."

"She's my responsibility, so nobody is going to touch her no matter what. I promised Celeste that "

"Vaughn!" the man cried, holding Sara much tighter to his chest.

Skye glanced at him. "What's the issue? I've met Celeste before. In fact..." After a moment, his eyes went wide. "I knew her very well." He reached out to Sara again, but I held him back.

Not the best idea.

* * *

I had apparently gotten sucked into his memories. I saw everything from his point of view, as his last memory of Sara.

Skye jiggled the door handle to a hotel room. "Come on, Vaughn, this party isn't going to attend itself."

The door got yanked away from him by the surly man, who held Sara in one arm, nude and wrapped in a thick towel. "For Chrissake, Skye! I'm a little busy here."

Skye gasped as he saw the baby. "Oh my gosh; it's so cute!" Sara blew spit bubbles at him. Skye played with her curly hair and poked at her nose. She giggled and tried to hide her face in the towel. "Who's this little cutie?"

Vaughn pushed him away by his forehead. "Yeah, I think that spending so much time playing Mr. Mom has corrupted you. Anyway, this fart monster," he boosted Sara up on his arm, "is Sara. I'm babysitting her for today."

She appeared to be curious about him, but not very scared at all. "Hey, my little baby. Are you all squeaky-clean now?" She giggled and kicked at him.

"Hey, um, could you do me a favor and watch her while I check on Denny?" Vaughn handed the baby over to him, who was eager to hold her.

"No problem-o, V. Tell him to forget his perm and get his butt out here." Vaughn nodded and left them alone.

She whined a little, but it sounded like an attempt not to yawn rather than discomfort. "Don't worry," he murmured, "I'm not gonna drop you. You can go to sleep if you want."

He rocked her as he walked to the window. As they approached the door, I caught sight of the calendar. _December 29th-a week before I found her!_

She curled her legs in response to the chill. "I wish you could meet my daughter. Her name is Violet. She has long golden hair, like a princess."

"Pretty..." Sara cooed.

"Yep, and she loves little babies. She wants a little sister." He pointed out to the ocean. "We live on an island across the sea, but we travel a lot. She couldn't come this time because she's got TB. She's staying with the nice people at the clinic."

"Say," Sara shouted. "Da yee say bay." It sounded like broken babbling at first But after a minute, I could understand her broken up language. _Stay;_ _Daddy stay with baby._

He patted her head. "You certainly know a lot of words." Sara growled at him. "What's wrong?"

"Ooh soup it. Bay sick." _You're stupid. The baby's sick._

"You're silly. How can a bay be sick? A bay is water. It doesn't need soup." _That dunce was __purposely__ waving off her reasoning._

Vaughn returned with the caramel-skinned man who's now holding Sara. "Okay, we've got her from here." He patted Skye's back. "Well meet up in a minute or two."

Denny scooped Sara up and covered her head with the towel. She squirmed is his arms, trying to get comfortable. "Come on, squirt. Let's get you into something pretty." She grunted again. My guess is she did not like dresses.

Skye attempted to wave goodbye, but she was already half-asleep by the time they reached the end of the hall.

* * *

I released my hold on him and he staggered. I pulled him up by the back of the collar to keep him from falling. He got up and smacked my hand away.

"What the hell was that?"

"That, my child, was a 'tap'. I was able to see into your mind and find your last memory of Sara. And about that child of yours, Violet; is she well now?"

He grimaced. "Yeah, she's back in the clinic. Be right back." He jumped on a trash can and again up to the window sill. He disappeared inside with a loud thud.

Vaughn glared at me again. "Alright, just who exactly are you?"

"Like our little friend said, I'm known as _Il_ _Cartomante_-the fortune teller. I don't prefer to tell people my real name. I rescued this child when her head got stuck in the sand. However it got that deep is beyond me, but what I know now is that you did not fall off the ship that long ago. Now would somebody care to tell me who this 'Celeste' figure is?"

"Sara's mom, my girlfriend." Vaughn answered, but his voice carried a more interrogative tone.

"Okay, well how did it happen that you got to Sara? It doesn't seem that you're her biological father."

"I'm father enough for her. I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Oh? Not even when her mother has aquaphobia and you leave her behind in the ocean with an infant? I believe that's enough to charge with neglect and endangerment."

"Why you-" He attempted an uppercut at my jaw. "I'm through with this guilt-tripping."

I blocked his fist. "Please, Vaughn. We've seen how Skye acts and I understand why you want to protect Sara. You have to understand that as her appointed parental guardian, you have a responsibility towards her yourself. If an official got wind of this, what would they say?"

Denny swatted Vaughn's hand away. "He has a point, Vaughn. It couldn't hurt to tell him what happened."

Sara alternately looked at them. "What 'appen?"

"It's why your Mamma wasn't with us when you met Skye," he answered. He stared at me, "and how I first met her."


End file.
